Rock Books

This book is not like all the other kind of "band books" that you may have come accross in the past. This book has a different prospective of the photographer and his passion on a band he believed in.

Orlic, takes you on a journey in his own words, of what he was feeling and how he himself, had an inticate part of the band itself. Without him and the brothership that was bonded between he and the members, where would the band be now? Orlic, was the very ingredient that was needed for a lift off of new people discovering the band. He had introduced many of his contacts to The Frames, where they ended recording in Chicago and even one of the engineers, joined the band.
Orlic even had the privledge of becoming a T.M.(tour manager)for one seasons when traveling through America.

This book brings you through the eyes of a photographer. You become like a best friend. Your in like flynn. Your feel like you are a part of the band!

So, I highly recommend buying this refreshing new prospective of a book about a band, that is on it's way to becoming huge! Now that the movie, Once is out, watch out for The Frames! Whom I believe is to become larger than the Dave Matthews Band!

I have had a chance to experience the artist's photography before but was amazed the night I picked up his book (at a live signing) (in Chicago) (I know, lucky me). The entire book is a work of art. The photographer truly captures the fleeting moments of life with The Frames, and you can actually feel the excitement of their lives through the lens of an amazing photographer. For any Frames fan, this is a must -- and for anyone out there who appreciates art -- this is most definitely a must. Is there going to be a part 2??

Sensibility of Rock and Roll. Every frame is to be framed. I love every single photo. Text is passionate as the photos are and if you do not know the music of The Frames, than all of it will become one, ONCE you listen to it. Bravo Zoran Orlic. A true artist.

first of all, the size and quality of it are amazing. i thought it'd be a lot smaller, i don't know why.

i read it all in one sitting-- couldn't really stop. i love the way that it's written. totally sincere and unpretentious. candid and funny.
i loved it.

and oh yeah, gorgeous photographs, too!

Wow. Articulate writing of stories that warm and challenge the heart. I am not a reader of stories. They bore me; not this book. I felt that "I'm not alone" validation. I'm reading these pages about places and events that I never thought I would enjoy; and I'm moved by the sense of being bathed in light, a recognition that the truths interwoven in this man's storytelling are humanites truths, that I'm reading the experience of "one of Us". And I am a better person for having enjoyed a damn good story. There is an uncanny spiritual depth clothed in crisp, simple words even a child will enjoy, and those adults who have ears to hear will be changed.

Robert Rock tells wonderful stories that make you laugh and cry, that capture your attention, and that keep you reading - while subtly teaching you the important lessons about life. This is an excellent book to read aloud to your kids or your grandkids, and it might spark your telling them stories about your own life. If you grew up in St. Louis or attended the Missouri School of Mines/University of Missouri-Rolla, this is an absolute "must read". And even if you didn't, you'll find this a eye-opening view into the past that you'll remember long after the last page is turned. Best book I've read in years!

With, dare I say, an Emmersonian touch, Robert Rock has recorded his multi-faceted life in seventy-odd charming vignettes. From "The Bomb" to "The Little Girl" Rock captured my attention with his gentle approach to life. Whether the experience was terrifying or tearful, he has injected a combination of humility and electrifying instance with captivating detail. Wonderful reading for any time of the day.

I am frequently "turned off" by reading autobiographical books but Robert Rock's FROM THERE TO HERE is a notable exception. It is excellently written and I couldn't stop until I had read it from cover to cover. It may seem odd, but the book's attraction lies in both what it includes and what it lacks. What it includes are incidents in the author's life that did not take place in the halls of the powerful and famous, nor are they titillating revelations of private indiscretions, but the kind of events that have filled or might have filled any of our lives. The author's background is that of a typical American, one who, like so many millions of his (and my) generation, was a soldier in World War II, specifically in the "Pacific theater," the tragic arena of the war against Japan. What the book lacks is the flaw of so many autobiographical works, the intrusion of ego or self-importance. Although writing in the first person, the author's perspective is one of an observer, candidly revealing his likes, dislikes, foibles, disappointments, regrets, triumphs, and even the clever subterfuges which were common practice for a supply officer on Okinawa responsible for providing for a large company of fighting men. It is written with uncommon clarity and honesty.

To me the most poignant story (which has been read on National Public Radio) was "The Striped Pen," about a Japanese prisoner whom Rock unjustly accused of a theft, an incident Rock rues to this day. The funniest is one called "Snakes," the ending of which left me chortling. In another story, Rock discovers that another officer, whom he had actually trained, had become a First Lieutenant while he remained a Second. Instead of rankling over the injustices of life, the author simply hitched a ride on the first available plane to General MacArthur's headquarters in Manila, had his record searched, and found his promotion had been authorized but simply not forwarded, a typical military snafu which was quickly corrected. The story which I found most remarkable was called simply "The Train." Stuck on a cramped, smelly military transport train in the railroad yards at Boise, Idaho, Rock listens raptly to "what seemed like at least one hundred steam locomotives climbing through that huge valley-all puffing away, hooting at each other, clinking and clanking along in the crisp, cold air, which transported those sounds to me without the loss of one decibel." What would you expect the reaction to such a din to be? For Robert Rock, "It was ethereal, it was magical, what kind of words can I use to recreate the experience for your senses." The answer is that no one could have found better words.

You can read all the celebrity autobiographies you wish, but my wish it that FROM THERE TO HERE will make Robert M. Rock the celebrity he deserves to be.

This book is awesome! The book covers the major gemstone categories and it has beautiful illustrations of the gems. The paper is of fine quality and the book cover is eye catching. It is a work of art it and would be nice to display on a coffee table.

While perfectly interesting for the serious gemstone fancier, this book is equally approachable and usable for those just getting started. The sumptuous cover photograph is slightly misleading, in that it seems to promise jewelry within the book's pages. Although jewelry is covered--as are crowns, religious reliquaries, carved gemstone figurines and more--the main thrust of this book is the nuts and bolts basics of gemstones. You can find out which gemstones appear most frequently in which geographic locations; discern the subtle differences among the particolored members of the corundum family; find out what refractive indices mean; pore over all the different gemstone cuts (including unusual cuts like the shield and olive shapes) and much, much more. This book is really a tool and a sourcebook for those interested in the miracle of gemstones.

Any with an interest in gemstones will find this involving: a coffee table book which goes into depth and detail on individual gems and their geologic origins. From jewelry making and myths to science, collecting and lore, Gemstones provides a lavish display suitable for gift-giving and library acquisition alike.

This is a stunningly beautiful book full of color pictures and explanations of gemstones. It will appeal to all ages and readers who are interested in this side of "applied geology." One can simultaneously appreciate the art and science of gemstones while browsing or reading in depth. Originally published in Europe as a production of EMB-Service in Lucerne, Switzerland, this American English language edition is from the Geoscience Press, Inc. of Tuscon, Arizona and is printed in Italy. Reading this book is like having a museum right in your hands!

Excellent book, an extremely interesting and informative read, whether you are a collector or not.

I have been collecting geodes since the 1950's. I am pleased that there is finally a book didicated to the science of geodes. The text explains how these beautiful natural treasures were created, and where they can be found. This book contains beautiful color photos of most types of geodes.

This is a great effort by June Zeitner and Brad Cross. They've done a great job again! They play into each other's strengths to produce a wonderful resource, covering geodes of all sorts from most of the Western Hemisphere.

Overall, an excellent book on Geodes and Thundereggs with great photos. My only problem with it is the fact that very few of the pictured specimens had dimensions listed! It would be great to know what size Mineral you are looking at!

I was one of the students in Don Coduto's graduate level class that helped him "use" this book when it was in the final review stages. We helped him find all the little mistakes before final publishing. I still carry around that old 700+ page volume of a notebook we had for that class. It's nice to see it finally published. It is an OUTSTANDING book making geotechincal work more readily accessible to the average engineer. The example problems will help one grasp the concepts faster. Don can always be contacted with questions as well. ENJOY.

This book is very easy to follow. It shows explainations, concepts, theories, and provides beautiful examples. Excellent book for undergraduate studies.

This excellent text eased my transition from analytical chemistry work and toxicology into the fascinating field of geotechnical engineering, helping me grasp both the methodology and the reasoning behind numerous geotechnical analyses -- from the most fundamental basics of soil classification to the empirical, working, and theoretical underpinnings of rising head/falling tail flexible membrane permeametry. Coduto's book also sheds rays of light upon the ephemeral calculations beloved by the writers of ASTM methodology: Get this book, you will not be disappointed!

Coduto has done a great job in producing an entry level geotechnical engineering book. It does not go into thhe level of detail needed at times, but serves as a good resource for students learning about soils and geotechnical engineering. Very easy to understand and follow, and provides many diagrams and photos for better understanding.

I read this book here in Brazil.This book is easy to read, well organized and have correct informations, about this subject.There's many chapters and every chapter, is about one kind of earthmover.Every chapter has a little historic beggining and then, we can read about the biggests makers of each earthmover machine.Germany to example, produces the biggests hidraulic escavators.
The main failure of this book are the photos.All of them are B&W.There isn't a single color photo, in this book.If a book is a historic book such as about World War I, is good to have only B&W photos, because only this kind of photo was then available.This book, even about nowadays machines , has only B&W photos.Then all photos are basically weak.The text is excellent, but the photos are weak.Because of the photos, I'll give 4 stars, not 5 stars for this book.

This book teaches a lot of earthmoving machines, mainly the manufactories history, and you will see the most exotic kind of machines that ever worked. Although all its pictures are black and white, it worst. Buy it.

Keith Haddock has written a serious and lavishly illustrated introduction to the world of heavy equipment, a world not used to being treated in such an adult fashion.

Haddock traces the history and development of each type of machine listed in his book, along with their manufacturuers,and the history of each brand name in the field. Accompanying the text are a series of clear, relevant photographs that illustrate different brands and periods in the development of each machine. Whereas many books drop an adult approach for the "Oh Boy, What a Big Machine That Is!" view of things, Haddock sticks with his conviction that he is writing for an intelligent audience interested in the history and development of heavy earthmoving machines. It is an approach I greatly appreciate.

One qualm with this book and others like it: There is too much emphasis placed on the largest of the machines; probably in the belief that this is the only way to sell such an intelligent book. However, if this is the only approach, why are there no color photos? While I can appreciate the size of a Caterpillar Model 24H grader, let's face the fact that the graders we normally deal with, and the graders that helped build America's road system, are the Cat Models 10 and 12 grader. Also what about the automatic paving machine and ther roller. We never hear of their stories; yet without them, roads would be much the worse for wear.

But until such a book comes out, Haddock's tome is well worth the time and money and is guaranteed intelligent reading with much to offer in the way of learning.

This book teaches a lot of earthmoving machines, mainly the manufactories history, and you will see the most exotic kind of machines that ever worked. Although all its pictures are black and white, it worst. Buy it.

this Book is a Must have for any Drummer period but especially for R&B Jams&Grooves. very insightful&you can feel the Music as you read the various details.this is the Kind of Book that should be the springboard for all Musicians in terms of Highlighten a particular Instrument. you feel the Joy&Passion within this Book.

Let's face it, drummers like each other! They like to help each other. They like to share with each other as well. And here we have a book about drummers, who talk about their influences, their histories, the groups they were with, their grooves. AND, to top it all off, Jim Payne gives us a number of grooves to listen to and practice with -- some that would be really hard to pick off recordings otherwise.

A tremendous compendium of knowledge about grooves, drummers, history and more -- this is a MUST for any drummers library!

Lastly, I want to add that I own or have seen several of Jim's publications and they are ALL top-notch, well researched and presented works. You cannot go wrong when you want to learn from Jim Payne (and no, I do not know him personally).

This book is essential for any modern drummer. Plenty of fantastic interviews with the drummers who shaped funk and funky beats, and more than one hundred transcribed grooves so you can follow the style of funk through the years. Every drummer needs this book, no matter what style you play, absolute necessity.

The history of the rhythmic revolution of R & B, funk and soul as told by the drummers themselves: including Clyde Stubblefield, David Garibaldi, Clayton Fillyau, Earl Palmer and Tiger Martin. Fascinating for drummers, other musicians and any fan of American popular music.Jim Payne's newest award winning book includes interviews, discographies, rare photos, transcriptions and an accompanying CD with over 90 drum set rhythms.

This is without a doubt one of the best works of non-fiction Ive ever read, and I read alot of non-fiction. Any fan of the American hardcore scene will find this book not only informative, but highly entertaining. Hurchalla does a great job covering the national scene as a whole. So many books about the subject only cover the larger scenes in LA, New York, DC etc...but in this one you finally get to read about the scenes in places like Philidelphia, Texas, Cincinatti and Vancouver. I was afraid the author would concentrate alot of info on the places he was familiar with (Florida and Pennsylvania) but he really did his research and covered the nation as a whole. I didnt expect to read anything about the areas Im most familiar with-Detroit and Columbus OH, so I was very pleased to see bands like the Necros and Scrawl covered extensively. If youre sitting on the fence about this book, by all means, buy it! You wont be dissapointed.

This is the first book I have ever read by author George Hurchalla but if it is any indication of his writing skills and knowledge of the topics he covers then he has a bright future ahead of him in publishing.Going Underground is the rarely told (and often inaccurately I might add) story of the early US underground
hardcore punk music scene. Author Hurchalla not only talks
about his own experiences within this time period but also includes those of numerous other people who had been involved,and Hurchalla makes it a point to not just interview the same old people who have been quoted a million times before.The book is also filled with many never before seen photos of the era as well.What really made Hurchalla's writing special is the way he knows and understands his subject yet never comes off as another stuffy know it all "expert".This book is for anyone interested
in this music scene and will appeal to both the scene veterans
and the complete novices.I cannot recommend this book enough.

Music is inextricably linked with autobiography. There are albums you love, not for the songs per se, but for the fact that the minute that first note hits the speaker, you're for a moment 16 again.

In "Going Underground", Hurchalla doesn't shy away from placing his own life front and center. The book isn't a band history, ala "Our Band Could Be Your Life", though it's full of fantastic quotes, stories and interviews from dozens of incredibly bands. The Big Boys, Naked Raygun, Articles of Faith, the Dead Milkmen, Scrawl, Minus Man, and hundreds of others fill every page.
It's not a taste of the indie gossip-mill, ala "Hardcore: a Tribal History", either. In total, it's a history of scenes, often focusing on those scenes you never heard of, like Lawrence, Kansas or Des Moins, Iowa. It's a history of punk and hardcore based on the people who made these scenes possible: fans, zine writers, musicians, club owners.

Above all, though, it's about Hurchalla himself. His journey through the hardcore scene is so full of awe and wonder and joy that the whole book comes alive in his stories. He jumps from reportage and interviews to short personal stories, nervy and quick like a Wire tune, that never fail to electrify.

In the end, like Azzerand's book, "Going Underground" reveals that this scene which, from the outside often seemed just angry and violent, was built on and held together by the love that these people had.

Plus, there's no way to have a bad book with the Randy Biscuits on the cover.

One of the more notable things about this book, that I don't think many people realize, is that it is a 100% DIY product. I got to know the author, George Hurchalla a little bit after he contacted me, wanting to use some of my photos in the book. George spent six years of his life researching, interviewing, writing, re-writing, editing and designing this book. Then he put up his own money to have it published. He doesn't just talk the talk... He walks the walk.

George felt that too much history was being repeated by the same few "usual suspects." He felt that lesser known participants should have their say. He wanted to introduce his readers to the smaller, lessor known scenes of the U.S.. It didn't all happen in just L.A., N.Y., D.C. and Boston, ya know. As George says, "Since punk rock was meant to be an anti-hero movement, it's a tragedy to let the winners write the history of it, and to make counter-culture heroes of people who were never meant to be anything more than inspirational peers."

This book is an exhaustive history of the punk/hardcore scene from the period of 1979 - 1992. George chose the time-frame arbitrarily. He felt that there was already a tremendous amount of history recorded about the first wave of punk from 1976 - 1980 and his ending at 1992 marks when he dropped out of the scene. "Going Underground" chronicles the rise of the punk/hardcore movement from the perspective of George's discovery of the music via his older, college-aged, brother. George was in high school when his brother brought home a Sex Pistols record. Bored with the standard, classic rock fare that was common in 1980, this music lit a fire in him. There's a great quote by Karen Allman of the Tucson band, Conflict, regarding her own intro to the Pistols that kinda says it all, "That's horrible! Play it again!"

George's personal narrative, combined with quoted stories from band members and scenesters weaves a fascinating account of the era. There is a tremendous amount of detail dedicated to the accounts from lessor known areas, such as my own mid-western area. I finally feel like my own hometown scene in Chicago has been more accurately represented, exposing us as a city with much more going on than merely the infamous Effigies/AoF feud. As the book states, many of us locals felt that the "personality conflict" between the two bands got too much attention at the expense of everything else that went on in our scene. Finally, finally, the stories of the lessor known bands are told. Finally, the voices of the average participants are heard.

Especially poignant was an account by Austin photographer, Geoff Cordner, regarding the misfit status of which most of us felt we belonged to:

"We were gathered out back in the alley after some kind of punk/new wave performance art thing - this was back before anyone made a distinction between punk and new wave. Everyone was drinking beer and nobody was saying very much because we were all a profoundly uncomfortable bunch - that was our common ground, it seemed - punk as a gathering of angry losers and rejects who, without sufficient beer in our systems, remained too uncomfortable with ourselves to really be comfortable with each other. It was a powerful thing just knowing there were others as f*ck*d up as you."

We came together and built our fledgling punk scenes for many differing reasons, but the one thing we all had in common was our dissatisfaction with the status quo. If the mainstream society wouldn't accept us, no problem, we created our own underground society. We wanted to break away from the old tried and true norms of just about everything we encountered. Our motivation was powerful, as George says, "Knowing that no one would ever put out our records for us, no managers would set up tours for us, no clubs would open their doors to us, no radio stations would play our music, and that situation would only get worse, a generation of punks took the steps necessary to have our voices heard the best we could."

I highly recommend this book, it's truly a great read. If you were a punk back then-- every page turn will bring you back into some memory. If you are a current punk- this is an accurate account of the times, a highly informative piece on the genre. It's a chronicle of punk history written FOR THE PUNKS, BY A PUNK. A true DIY project, so be sure to support the effort and buy this wonderful book!

This is a great book! If you're a beginner, it's probably not for you, but if you like to go into the deep water, you'll love it. Grissom also delves into subjects that are related to overall musicianship, not just the guitar. If you're a David Grissom you'll get even more from the book. The CD alone is worth the money.

this book is a stellar learning aid for anyone wanting to improve tier blues rock solo capabilities.

David is an amazing guitar player.This guide is worth buying just to hear him play his licks on the CD. If you like David Grissom, you will love this!

I just got this book this week in the mail, so haven't really had an opportunity to go thru the whole book and make a balanced review. But HEY there is a CD and complete tab for about seventy or so David Grissom licks, many of the tougher ones both in fast and slow versions. That's almost worth five stars in itself, assuming the tab is accurate ;-)

The first real lesson is chapter 3, and that went OK. Mean solo for a single note. I just finished trying Chapter 4. There should have been a warning on this Chapter's solo ... David is illustrating the use of the chromatic scale here, but uses techniques in this solo that he doesn't really cover until later chapters. You realize this as soon as you move to Chapter 5 which is the first real "technique" chapter.

Anyway it's definitely not for beginners, I have been playing off and on for many years and actually made a bit of money playing in a band on weekends about ten years ago, and this book is a bit tough even for me.

One minor point (I had the same beef with the Hot Licks video David had out) -- wish he'd recommend a good theory book. I have "the art of rock guitar" for that department and it's a bit weird.

I'll come back and revisit this review after I've worked thru more of the book.

Disclaimer: I have been a huge David Grissom fan ever since I heard him playing on James McMurtry's "Too Long in the Wasteland" ;-)

An intensely satisfying murder mystery featuring the ALF, rock bands and a friendly tarantula. Animal rights with a light comedic touch. If the animals have a God, it surely must be the Animal Liberation Front!

The humor is plentiful and pleasant. The main characters are heros, yet very real. While having fun reading the book, I learned so much about the philosophy of animal rights activists that I have become a vegetarian.

The dialogue is clever; the topic philosophically right on. I laughed and learned a lot about the animal rights movement. I came back online to buy several books to send to relatives.

Outrageous, sometimes dark humor. Clearly one of the funniest books I've ever read.